The Drum: The Optokinetic Perceptual Learning Device Eleanor Criswell Hanna. Use of The Drum can dramatically increase alertness, reading speed, physical reaction time and the ability to concentrate and study. It can be equally employed as an aid to meditation or to athletic prowess. The Drum is a crafted, clear plastic cylinder with a hole in the center of the bottom disc that fits over the spindle of a record turntable. It comes with three design bands. The Drum, invented by Dr. Eleanor Criswell Hanna, is designed to trigger neurophysiological responses that heighten awareness and perception and also speed the learning process.